It’s been a crazy few months in my world of photography. From hikes to the top of Table Mountain to hunt for Disa’s to a crazy storm chasing adventure in the Karoo, I am glad to say I have been able to add some great new images to my portfolio that will excite you all.
Please feel free to visit my new works gallery as well as new Favourites and Karoo Storm Chase gallery.
If you are interested in purchasing a new print please feel free to send me some screen grabs of images you want to jaycaboz@gmail.com, DM me or else hit me up on my contact page on my website.
Let me know the size of the print and paper you were thinking and I’ll happily guide you through finding something amazing for your home or office.
Storm Chasing in the Karoo
Welcome to the open expanse of the Karoo where I spent two incredible days chasing some massive storms that rolled around Prince Albert, a beautiful arid section of our country. Farmers we spoke to told us they haven’t had decent rain in these parts for years.
My new drone, the Greyhound, is working overtime overtime to bring in some epic footage
I’d also like to welcome a new addition to my photographic gear – the Geyhound, aka my new drone. I am having a blast shooting whales, kayakers and capturing some epic panoramas which would make for additions to any wall.
The ocean has a particular place in my heart, and with South Africa’s recent uplifting of it’s beach lockdown restrictions I am making up for some serious lost time.
Some crazy whale watching has been about near Cape Town with multiple sightings. I always get excited when I can come home with some good footage of whales. They’re not easy to shoot. From above they’re small in comparison to the ocean and once they go a few meteres below the surface you won’t be able to see them.
I’ve found the best way to photograph them is to wait until they are feeding. If they’re on the move I don’t even bother sending the drone out. By the time you get to them they’re long gone.
A final highlight I would like to share is my recent trip to photograph the Geminid meteor shower, which occurs in December.
Photographing the Geminids meteor shower under a blanket of stars in front of the Sewing Machine arch located in the Cederberg.
This was a light show like nothing on Earth and I manage to tick off a bucket list shot that I had been planning since January. (Thanks PhotoPills for making my life so easy in figuring out how to shoot it. I highly recommend purchasing their app if you want to shoot landscapes like a pro.)
The Geminids is the gold standard in terms of meteor showers in South Africa and the next time the conditions will be this good in the Southern Hemisphere will be 2023.
The meteoroids originate from dust grains ejected from Asteroid 3200 Phaethon. When the Earth passes through this stream of dust particles (i.e. meteor stream), left behind by the asteroid, we experience what is known as the Geminid meteor shower.
Once our tripods were set up and the interval time was going, we decided to sleep on the dirt, covered in condensation in our sleeping bags and watch the show. I can honestly say it was like watching an entire firework display across the whole sky. Over the course of the evening there were hundreds.
While it was visible from as early as Friday, 4 December, it peaked on Monday morning at 2AM, which is why I found myself with @kyleincpt and @the_photochemist in the middle of the Cederberg watching as many as 64 meters streaking across the sky per hour – some were so bright they flashed like flares.
What you see here is an image stack taken over a good number of hours set on a time-lapse. Each streak of light is a meteor blazing across the night sky.
This is a real must see for any South African, especially since we have some amazingly remote and dark sky locations to shoot from. The next big meteor shower is the Eta Aquariids which peaks on 7 May 2021.
I encourage you to get out to someplace remote, bring an armchair and a flask of coffee and enjoy what nature has to offer.
What an adventure the last few months have been!
If you are interested in purchasing a new print please feel free to send me some screen grabs of images you want to jaycaboz@gmail.com, DM me or else hit me up on my contact page on my website.
Let me know the size of the print and paper you were thinking and I’ll happily guide you through finding something amazing for your home or office.
Jay Caboz 